Spellbook[4 SE] Wind Cutter[Current: 3x | 1-4 damage, 115 Hit]The caster conjures up to [INT/5] magical blades of compressed wind and throws them at his targets independently from each other, cutting through them with sheer force. Each blade does 1-4 damage, has a hit chance of [70 + INTx3] and will never score critical hits.[8 SE] Spark Cone[Current: 3-8 damage, 100 Hit]The caster releases an electrical charge and powers it up with magical energy, causing it to assume a greatly extended area of effect (all enemies by default) in which all beings suffer an electric shock, dealing [1 + INT/7] to [3 + INT/3] damage. The chance of success is [70 + INTx2] per target. Wet targets or targets suspended in water cannot resist this spell and take 50% more damage. Targets with a lot of metal to them take 25% more damage as well.[Wt/5 SE] Telekinesis[Current: 59 Hit]The caster utilizes magical energy to lift and move objects of weight only limited by the amount of spirit energy available to him (Wt/5, rounded up). Full concentration is required for the duration of the spell; this means that the spell is instantly cancelled if the caster's concentration is interrupted, causing the object he was moving to plummet to the ground. It also means that the caster can't move away as long as he moves the object, and the reach of his magic is limited, effectively putting a limit on how far the caster may move the object. If used on a sentient being, the chance of success is [30 + INT + WIL].

AbilitiesFocus [1] [active][65 AP]Aranym fuses additional power into a spell, increasing its damage/healing power/... and success/status effect chance by 50% and bypassing all damage reduction. A focused spell consumes double MP.Deflection [3] [passive limited][90 AP]Aranym deflects a resisted magical attack, turning the absorbed power into a makeshift shield of raw energy. The shield absorbs [strength of the deflected attack spell] points of damage from attacks directed at the party, priorizing the survival of each ally.Mercy[passive][+100 AP]Aranym cannot strike critical hits by any means, does not gain any experience for killing a sentient being and his accuracy for lethal attacks on any living creature is halved.Affinity[sustained][125 AP]Aranym concentrates on a certain element. While in this state, he can only cast spells of the element in question, but gains a 50% resistance to that element. Entering and exiting this state is a minor action.Interference [curr. occupation: 7 SE] [sustained][200 AP]A stream of irritating mental impulses floods a selected target, reducing their accuracy, evasion, MR and SR by [INT]. Aranym has 0.5 actions less than usual while sustaining this. Occupies [10-INT/5] points of SE. Invert[sustained][120 AP]In this mode, Aranym's elemental spells are drawn from the opposite element: wind <> earth, water <> electricity, heat <> cold, light <> dark.Infuse [curr:58] [sustained][200 AP]In this mode, all his magical attacks deal 25% less damage, but have a [INT*2+WIL*2] chance of inflicting a certain status effect depending on element.

StoryLots of stereotypical traumatic happenings, followed by the events from ToaP. [Well, you know it. If I would go into detail here, this part would need a lot of retcon.]Afterwards he returned to his village, aided his people with his magical abilities and learned a few new spells.ScriptProbably complicated.

"I doubt that confrontation with them is evitable...You seem to underestimate us. Our chances of beating them together are much higher. Alone you didn't even have a chance of scratching them before they mangled you, but dealing with all of us will be a whole lot harder for them. You don't seem to have much experience with casters, but these men are not invincible either - a well-prepared group of adventurers should be well capable of defeating them. And if we can't take on them even with our combined strength, we are doomed either way."Addressing Ell, he adds: "I apologize for dragging you into this whole conflict... it seems like this is a bad time for passing through Camadyl."

AbilitiesChord [ 4 SE + Notes SE ] [270 AP]Ell plays three different notes in one single sound - all three notes' effects are applied at once, stacking if necessary. Cannot be performed by singing.

Passive tone [ X*2 SE ] [140 AP]Ell sings in a soothing voice with X strength, which reduces the target's damage output by X for the first turn it takes, then X-1 for the next, and X-2 after that, and so on, until it wears off. However, the debuff may not lower an enemy's damage by more than half. If the strength would debuff more than half, the debuff stays at half and lasts more turns, depending on the overcast.

Musician [+10 AP]Ell's ability with spells is channeled through her music - her spells are Notes and require a musical instrument or ability to sing clearly and properly to use.

Spiritual [ 100 AP ]Ell does not have use limitations on her Abilities, instead detracting from her Spirit Energy.

NotesSoothing Song [ 5 SE ][Current: 44%]A gracefully played soothing sound magically removes some of the target's wounds and stabilizes its general condition.Restores [40 + WILx2]% of the target's HP. If Ell wishes, the healing can instead be split equally between all allied listeners (rounded down).Magic Missile [ 5 SE ][Current: 3x | 2-5 damage, 125 Hit]Ell conjures up to [INT/5] small spheres of pure magical energy and fires them at his targets independently from each other, dealing respectable damage upon impact. Each missile does 2-5 damage, has a hit chance of [80 + INT*3] and will never score critical hits.Magical Thorns [ 2 SE per turn ][Current: 2-6 damage, 90 Hit]Ell entraps her target in a magically conjured entanglement of thorny vines. While they will not hinder its combat ability, they will slowly damage it over time for as long as the caster sustains them with spirit energy.Deals [1 + INT/10] to [2 + INT/4] damage per turn. The chance of success is [60 + INT*2]. If the target fails the resistance check at any point, it will not be granted any further chances to resist the effect as long as the spell is sustained without interruption.

BackstoryEll was born into a wealthy family, raised quite exclusively. Homeschooled, trained to sing and play music. She was handed the tools, given the knowledge, and instructed to use them. Never a choice, never a purpose she could get behind. She became a rather sad soul, and one without a purpose. All her family would let her do was play music and sing to support all of them. It makes it ironic; there was little reason for song in her life at any point - it was heard among her village that she had never smiled once in her life. She made a living off of her music, but never really found a purpose. It was something she could do, and that was it. She searches the Earth and her soul for something missing - taken from her at a very young age: Her happiness. A purpose. She doesn't really know how to interact with people, and doesn't understand emotions, and she's trying to learn what her intensive homeschooling could never teach.

"What happens happens, I don't mind."

_________________"The why-dunnit is equally as important as the who and how. Never ignore the heart!"

Amadeus attacks the Elite Cultist (8-15 Dmg, 93 Hit, 5 Crt): 11 Dmg, 14 Dmg.Amadeus dives towards the leader of the cultist group and strikes him into the chest twice in a row. The cultist stumbles backwards a bit and drops to the ground, not moving anymore.

Mordekai attacks Cultist A (2-6 Dmg, 97 Hit, 13 Crt): 5 Dmg.

The remaining cultists seem to be nervous. It's quite apparent that they can't deal with Mordekai's added help."Damn you! Don't think this is the last you've heard from us!"They hastily run away, towards the town, leaving their dead leader behind...

"I may be underestimating you, but you may just as easily be overestimating yourself. I'm gonna play it safe and avoid fighting them again if at all--"Suddenly, the door of the entrance is slammed out of its hinge, followed by four figures entering who are wearing black cloaks with various golden ornaments on them. The most notable ornament on each cloak is a pentagram with what looks like an eye in the middle of it, near their hearts. The "eye", unlike the other ornaments, is of a crimson red color.One of the figures steps forward and adresses you - Aranym and Ell - while the others point their daggers at Castor, who silently stands in a corner with his sword drawn, shaking of fear."Hand him over and we'll just pretend that you were never involved in this in the first place."

- Healing Light [5 SE]-Arianna heals the wounds of a target or a group of people. Heals one target for [40+2WIL%] of their maximum health or splits the % healing among a group of people.Affected By - Test of Will, 150% normal healingCurrent - 120% total, 132% with staff

- Restoration [7 SE]-Arianna purges impurities from the body of the target, restoring them to normal condition. Heals one target of all status effects that decay over time.

- Verdict [11 SE]-Arianna creates a blast of light right at the target's mind, dealing [2+INT/3 to 5+INT/2] damage and having a [10 + INT] chance to dazzle the enemy for [1 + INT/7] turns. Unmissable.Current - 5 to 10 Dmg, 20% chance for 2 turns, 6-11 Dmg with staff

Abilities:

- Guardian (Untaken)-[Passive]Arianna receives half the healing effect of any spell cast on an ally, and any time this effect occurs, Arianna temporarily receives 5% Prt and 10% resistance to all types of magic, stacking up to 3 times and lasting until the end of a battle. Any overhealing through this effect creates a damage absorption "Aura Barrier" for the amount of HP overhealed on Arianna.

- Raise [1 Use]-[Active]Arianna can empower allies that have lost enough strength to become unconscious, raising them and allowing them to fight again. When used, Arianna can use a minor action along with a healing spell to heal an ally that is at 0 HP and leave them conscious with the amount of HP the spell healed. [80 AP]

- Test of Will -[Passive]Arianna's healing spells heal for 50% more than normal. [250 AP]

- Divine Phoenix -[Passive]Arianna is accompanied at all times by a golden bird. The bird can only take minor actions unless Arianna gives up a minor action to strengthen the bird to take a major action. The bird has half Arianna's values for HP, Arianna's score in perception, and +Wil and +Int to Valor and Finesse respectively, and +0 in every other stat. If the Phoenix dies, it ressurects itself at the end of the battle. Arianna can sense things through the eyes of the bird. [180 AP]

- Harness [1 Use]-[Active]Arianna draws in magical energy from enemies, allowing use of their spells against them. When used, at the cost of a minor action, Arianna can see a list of all the active skills and spells enemies can use at that point in time. At any point in the battle after that, Arianna can give a use of that skill or spell to any ally including Arianna, draining the enemy's spell or skill slot, which also costs a minor action. Using the stolen ability uses a major action. [110 AP]

- Channel of Power -[Passive]Arianna can contribute power to allies, allowing allies to take additional actions in times when it is needed. Arianna can give up major actions to allies at any time. [155 AP]

Story and Appearance:In front of you stands the same priestess you knew ten years ago, wisened by age and experience. She dons the same thick, enchanted robe, belted at the waist. Green scale bracers cover the arms, running under long sleeves of the robe. Visible under the long robe are simple gold sandals. Arianna carries a shield fused from two basilisk scales in one hand and a long, enchanted oak wood staff in the other hand, ornated with a blue gemstone at the top. Arianna wears the hood of her robe over her face, and strands of hair hang out from it. Arianna remains the same composure as before, but keeps her head hunched down and keeps more quiet. A bird that shines golden light is perched on Arianna's shoulder.

Arianna hunches down in a slight bit of exhaustion, dispelling the cultist's spell from Amadeus and calling him back to her side. Giving him so much power was more draining than some people would think. It truly was a travesty what had been done to him, to make him weak to the point that he could not even survive without a constant supply of power. Maybe at some point, he would heal to the point where he could survive on his own. But even if that day came, she would likely still need his help.

Her face still obscured by a hood, Arianna tilts her head up to the stranger who had just arrived. The help was appreciated, but she still had no idea of these man's motives, even if he wasn't one of the cult. For someone to follow a complete stranger this far into the forest was beyond strange. "...Why did you follow me? I don't think I've ever met you, and this is a long way away from anywhere that is safe."

[8 SE] Cone of Cold[Current: 3-7 damage, 93 Hit] [Frost 2 Turns]The caster uses his magical energy to cool down an area in front of him to the point where even the air begins to freeze. Any being caught withhin takes [1 + INT/7] to [3 + INT/3] damage. The chance of success is [65 + INT*2] per target. Any target hit by this attack has to make another check using its SR instead of MR; if it fails that check as well, it additionally freezes for [INT/7] turns.

[4 SE / turn] Stranglehold[Current: 2-6 damage, 79 Hit]The caster uses his magical energy to compress the air directly around the target's throat to the point where it's almost a physical grip, slowly choking it; this leaves it unable to move and deals [1 + INT/8] to [2 + INT/3] damage per turn. The chance of success is [55 + INT*2]. If the target fails the resistance check at any point, it will not be granted any further chances to resist the effect as long as the spell is sustained without interruption, though it has a [FOR + WIL]% chance each turn to at least be able to move for that turn.

[4 SE / turn] Veil of Darkness[Current: +12 Avd/MR]The caster covers himself and all of his allies with a magical veil of darkness. Its special properties allow his allies within to see through it and act normally, but anyone trying to attack from outside will have a much harder time to hit anything within. The caster's entire party's Avd and MR are both boosted by [WIL] for as long as the spell is sustained.

[0/1]Void Caster: Mordekai may cast a single spell without it consuming any SE. Spells cast this way require 0.5 additional actions to cast. [70 AP]

[1/1]Nox: Shrouds the battlefield with heavy darkness for 3 turns. All enemies have -15 to hit, and all allies have -5. Mordekai himself takes no penalty due to his Darkvision trait, and recovers up to 5 SE. [75 AP]

[1/1]Stygian Howl: A devastating blast of sound wrecks and rends all enemies facing Mordekai, dealing a flat [Remaining SE]/3 damage without fail, penetrating all defenses, and preventing the use of skills and spells for the next turn. Mordekai is knocked unconscious for 3 turns after using this ability, and all of his SE is drained. If he does not use this from the Front Row in combat, his allies in the front row suffer the full effect of the howl as well, while his enemies only suffer half damage. Any living being knocked out by a Stygian Howl cannot be revived. [140 AP]

Abilities

Arcane Trance: Mordekai adds half of his remaining SE to his Avd, MR, and Hit. Mordekai's SE instantly becomes 0 if the total weight of his equipment is greater than 20, if he is encumbered, or if he is wearing metal armor.[105 AP]

Spiderwalk: Mordekai can traverse water, vertical surfaces, and even ceilings so long that he can maintain forward motion. Additionally, he can walk or run without making any sound. [120 AP]

Traits

Darkvision: Si-ren eyes are built very differently from those of most humanoids. Their keen eyesight pierces pitch black darkness, allowing them to see in it almost as well as they would in broad daylight. [40 AP]

Alcohol Immunity: Alcohol simply does not affect Si-ren as it does regular humans. Mordekai does not receive normal negative effects from drinking alcohol, instead his body expels spirit energy at a rate of 1 SE per turn spent drunk. If he were to ingest several drinks at once, the rate of SE expelling will stack. [00 AP]

Heartless Tenet: Si-ren process emotions in a way that does not interfere with their functions, and as a result, will appear as cold and emotionless drones to most other creatures. Mordekai is completely unaffected by skills/spells/abilities that play on emotions, such as taunting or fear spells. [70 AP]

Description: The Si-ren are a small, secluded, magically gifted sect that broke away from mankind in the ages that the world was still young. Living atop the frigid northern mountainlands where man seldom treads, their seclusion has led to a development of their own society, customs and rituals.

Si-ren are highly philosophic, but at the same time, highly calm and calculated. They seek enlightenment above all things and pay little attention to worldly possessions. While they do not live in poverty, they are fairly satisfied with a standard, or even a substandard qiality of life, and never chase after luxuries.

Their physical features are very distinct, possessing eerie gray pupils and hair and a tall pale body. Si-ren lifespan is significantly longer than that of Humans, with some Si-ren living to be as old as the age of 500 years. Their progressively long life spans have brought their race's expansion to a halt, and now less than a thousand individuals remain.

When a Si-ren reaches the age of 40, he is sent to travel the world as a rite of passage. A Si-ren may only return to his homeland after they have left a meaningful permanent mark on the world, a concept that is reflected and admired in many aspects of their philosophy. But, this is done with the catch - they must do so anonymously. Their faces are covered (though it is merely a formality) and they may not take any credit for the deeds they've accomplished (for good or for bad) during their rite of passage, as their belief considers it a "natural order of events" and they are merely instruments of it.

Upon their return, their pilgrimage is never discussed, nor are they tested in any way to see if they have indeed completed it. The details of their deeds (or misdeeds) are to remain a burden on that traveler's conscience and their conscience only. In Human society such trust will never work, but among the Si-ren, the shame of cheating in a rite of passage can drive a Si-ren mad.

Mordekai is one such traveler. He has only recently begun his rite of passage, and has been on the road for only a few weeks.

Mordekai return his weapon to its holster on the side of his belt, which the cloak covers from sight."It's your bird. As you've gathered, I wanted to know more about it, it was the first truly interesting thing I saw for the past few weeks."He pulls out his journal and gestures at it."I document. A bit of an obsession of mine." He adds nonchalantly, then puts it back in its designated pocket in his robe.

"When you ignored my request and ran away I noticed these men following you, which was also interesting. I thought I could learn something still if I followed them."That was, of course, a slight distortion of the truth, as he followed her before he spotted the figures... but such white lies are harmless, and she will definitely not notice it. Mordekai's body language is flawless and his face is conveniently masked.

"I was hoping that since I helped you fend them off you could repay the kindness and tell me about your companion."

Spellbook[4 SE] Wind Cutter[Current: 3x | 1-4 damage, 115 Hit]The caster conjures up to [INT/5] magical blades of compressed wind and throws them at his targets independently from each other, cutting through them with sheer force. Each blade does 1-4 damage, has a hit chance of [70 + INTx3] and will never score critical hits.[8 SE] Spark Cone[Current: 3-8 damage, 100 Hit]The caster releases an electrical charge and powers it up with magical energy, causing it to assume a greatly extended area of effect (all enemies by default) in which all beings suffer an electric shock, dealing [1 + INT/7] to [3 + INT/3] damage. The chance of success is [70 + INTx2] per target. Wet targets or targets suspended in water cannot resist this spell and take 50% more damage. Targets with a lot of metal to them take 25% more damage as well.[Wt/5 SE] Telekinesis[Current: 59 Hit]The caster utilizes magical energy to lift and move objects of weight only limited by the amount of spirit energy available to him (Wt/5, rounded up). Full concentration is required for the duration of the spell; this means that the spell is instantly cancelled if the caster's concentration is interrupted, causing the object he was moving to plummet to the ground. It also means that the caster can't move away as long as he moves the object, and the reach of his magic is limited, effectively putting a limit on how far the caster may move the object. If used on a sentient being, the chance of success is [30 + INT + WIL].

AbilitiesFocus [1] [active][65 AP]Aranym fuses additional power into a spell, increasing its damage/healing power/... and success/status effect chance by 50% and bypassing all damage reduction. A focused spell consumes double MP.Deflection [3] [passive limited][90 AP]Aranym deflects a resisted magical attack, turning the absorbed power into a makeshift shield of raw energy. The shield absorbs [strength of the deflected attack spell] points of damage from attacks directed at the party, priorizing the survival of each ally.Mercy[passive][+100 AP]Aranym cannot strike critical hits by any means, does not gain any experience for killing a sentient being and his accuracy for lethal attacks on any living creature is halved.Affinity[sustained][125 AP]Aranym concentrates on a certain element. While in this state, he can only cast spells of the element in question, but gains a 50% resistance to that element. Entering and exiting this state is a minor action.Interference [curr. occupation: 7 SE] [sustained][200 AP]A stream of irritating mental impulses floods a selected target, reducing their accuracy, evasion, MR and SR by [INT]. Aranym has 0.5 actions less than usual while sustaining this. Occupies [10-INT/5] points of SE. Invert[sustained][120 AP]In this mode, Aranym's elemental spells are drawn from the opposite element: wind <> earth, water <> electricity, heat <> cold, light <> dark.Infuse [curr:58] [sustained][200 AP]In this mode, all his magical attacks deal 25% less damage, but have a [INT*2+WIL*2] chance of inflicting a certain status effect depending on element.

StoryLots of stereotypical traumatic happenings, followed by the events from ToaP. [Well, you know it. If I would go into detail here, this part would need a lot of retcon.]Afterwards he returned to his village, aided his people with his magical abilities and learned a few new spells.ScriptProbably complicated.

Aranym pretends not to notice the grim, ominous appearance and demeanour of those people and addresses them normally:"How dare you bust into my home like that and threaten us? I doubt your intention is only to capture him - which I won't allow either without knowing the reason - and whatever your goal might be, we must stop you if it can't be achieved peacefully."Towards Castor, he adds:"Without people with your selfish food chain mentality, situations like this one wouldn't even exist, Castor."

The figure grins gloatingly. "Oh, don't mind the door. We'll pay for the repairs, heheh. And why are you reacting so hostilely anyway? We're awfully sorry to disturb you at night, but this man is a wanted criminal, heheh! Surely you don't intend to become a criminal yourself by protecting one from the law?"His grin becomes even wider as he considers the last part of your reply."But why, we are trying to solve this peacefully! It's you who's not being cooperative! Surely you understand that one needs to bring weapons for self-defense if they intend to capture a murderer like this man, heheh!"Castor remains silent. He just continues to look at the figures with a mixture of fear and hate.

- Healing Light [5 SE]-Arianna heals the wounds of a target or a group of people. Heals one target for [40+2WIL%] of their maximum health or splits the % healing among a group of people.Affected By - Test of Will, 150% normal healingCurrent - 120% total, 132% with staff

- Restoration [7 SE]-Arianna purges impurities from the body of the target, restoring them to normal condition. Heals one target of all status effects that decay over time.

- Verdict [11 SE]-Arianna creates a blast of light right at the target's mind, dealing [2+INT/3 to 5+INT/2] damage and having a [10 + INT] chance to dazzle the enemy for [1 + INT/7] turns. Unmissable.Current - 5 to 10 Dmg, 20% chance for 2 turns, 6-11 Dmg with staff

Abilities:

- Guardian (Untaken)-[Passive]Arianna receives half the healing effect of any spell cast on an ally, and any time this effect occurs, Arianna temporarily receives 5% Prt and 10% resistance to all types of magic, stacking up to 3 times and lasting until the end of a battle. Any overhealing through this effect creates a damage absorption "Aura Barrier" for the amount of HP overhealed on Arianna.

- Raise [1 Use]-[Active]Arianna can empower allies that have lost enough strength to become unconscious, raising them and allowing them to fight again. When used, Arianna can use a minor action along with a healing spell to heal an ally that is at 0 HP and leave them conscious with the amount of HP the spell healed. [80 AP]

- Test of Will -[Passive]Arianna's healing spells heal for 50% more than normal. [250 AP]

- Divine Phoenix -[Passive]Arianna is accompanied at all times by a golden bird. The bird can only take minor actions unless Arianna gives up a minor action to strengthen the bird to take a major action. The bird has half Arianna's values for HP, Arianna's score in perception, and +Wil and +Int to Valor and Finesse respectively, and +0 in every other stat. If the Phoenix dies, it ressurects itself at the end of the battle. Arianna can sense things through the eyes of the bird. [180 AP]

- Harness [1 Use]-[Active]Arianna draws in magical energy from enemies, allowing use of their spells against them. When used, at the cost of a minor action, Arianna can see a list of all the active skills and spells enemies can use at that point in time. At any point in the battle after that, Arianna can give a use of that skill or spell to any ally including Arianna, draining the enemy's spell or skill slot, which also costs a minor action. Using the stolen ability uses a major action. [110 AP]

- Channel of Power -[Passive]Arianna can contribute power to allies, allowing allies to take additional actions in times when it is needed. Arianna can give up major actions to allies at any time. [155 AP]

Story and Appearance:In front of you stands the same priestess you knew ten years ago, wisened by age and experience. She dons the same thick, enchanted robe, belted at the waist. Green scale bracers cover the arms, running under long sleeves of the robe. Visible under the long robe are simple gold sandals. Arianna carries a shield fused from two basilisk scales in one hand and a long, enchanted oak wood staff in the other hand, ornated with a blue gemstone at the top. Arianna wears the hood of her robe over her face, and strands of hair hang out from it. Arianna remains the same composure as before, but keeps her head hunched down and keeps more quiet. A bird that shines golden light is perched on Arianna's shoulder.

"I... can't tell y-" Arianna hesitates for a second. "So be it. Amadeus is a phoenix. Due to... experiments that those cultists conducted, he's been severely weakened. The glowing appearance is from enchantments on him to recover his strength. Unfortunately, he still can't function fully yet without my support, so he travels with me until then... I assume you know what a phoenix is?" Arianna still wasn't fully comfortable sharing all this information, but it wasn't likely to share too much, and the man did deserve some kindness repaid for assisting her in battle with the cultists.

It was dark, late, and now that the cultists were heading towards the town, she couldn't risk turning back. The woods would have to do. "...I apologize, but I have to leave now. Don't follow me again." Arianna runs back towards the woods, leaving the strange man behind, knowing full well she would probably never see him again.

Spellbook[4 SE] Wind Cutter[Current: 3x | 1-4 damage, 115 Hit]The caster conjures up to [INT/5] magical blades of compressed wind and throws them at his targets independently from each other, cutting through them with sheer force. Each blade does 1-4 damage, has a hit chance of [70 + INTx3] and will never score critical hits.[8 SE] Spark Cone[Current: 3-8 damage, 100 Hit]The caster releases an electrical charge and powers it up with magical energy, causing it to assume a greatly extended area of effect (all enemies by default) in which all beings suffer an electric shock, dealing [1 + INT/7] to [3 + INT/3] damage. The chance of success is [70 + INTx2] per target. Wet targets or targets suspended in water cannot resist this spell and take 50% more damage. Targets with a lot of metal to them take 25% more damage as well.[Wt/5 SE] Telekinesis[Current: 59 Hit]The caster utilizes magical energy to lift and move objects of weight only limited by the amount of spirit energy available to him (Wt/5, rounded up). Full concentration is required for the duration of the spell; this means that the spell is instantly cancelled if the caster's concentration is interrupted, causing the object he was moving to plummet to the ground. It also means that the caster can't move away as long as he moves the object, and the reach of his magic is limited, effectively putting a limit on how far the caster may move the object. If used on a sentient being, the chance of success is [30 + INT + WIL].

AbilitiesFocus [1] [active][65 AP]Aranym fuses additional power into a spell, increasing its damage/healing power/... and success/status effect chance by 50% and bypassing all damage reduction. A focused spell consumes double MP.Deflection [3] [passive limited][90 AP]Aranym deflects a resisted magical attack, turning the absorbed power into a makeshift shield of raw energy. The shield absorbs [strength of the deflected attack spell] points of damage from attacks directed at the party, priorizing the survival of each ally.Mercy[passive][+100 AP]Aranym cannot strike critical hits by any means, does not gain any experience for killing a sentient being and his accuracy for lethal attacks on any living creature is halved.Affinity[sustained][125 AP]Aranym concentrates on a certain element. While in this state, he can only cast spells of the element in question, but gains a 50% resistance to that element. Entering and exiting this state is a minor action.Interference [curr. occupation: 7 SE] [sustained][200 AP]A stream of irritating mental impulses floods a selected target, reducing their accuracy, evasion, MR and SR by [INT]. Aranym has 0.5 actions less than usual while sustaining this. Occupies [10-INT/5] points of SE. Invert[sustained][120 AP]In this mode, Aranym's elemental spells are drawn from the opposite element: wind <> earth, water <> electricity, heat <> cold, light <> dark.Infuse [curr:58] [sustained][200 AP]In this mode, all his magical attacks deal 25% less damage, but have a [INT*2+WIL*2] chance of inflicting a certain status effect depending on element.

StoryLots of stereotypical traumatic happenings, followed by the events from ToaP. [Well, you know it. If I would go into detail here, this part would need a lot of retcon.]Afterwards he returned to his village, aided his people with his magical abilities and learned a few new spells.ScriptProbably complicated.

Irritated by this turn of events and skeptical, he inquires:"Who are you, then? Of all places I know, there's none where the law enforcers look like that."It was rather unlikely that these men told the truth and actually were guardians of the law. As he had frankly mentioned, their appearance was not that of lawkeepers, who more often tended to be physical warriors... There supposedly were some nations of mages, but representatives from this country chasing after the soldier was a rather unlikely case. And after all, Castor said that they weren't after him, but the amulet itself was the subject of their interest...Aranym concentrates, tries to examine those people for any further noticeable, potentially indicative, traits, and scans his memories for all information that might help him identify them.

The figure's expression becomes slightly more serious. "Given that you don't seem to know about us, I was hoping you'd ask, heheh! We're representatives of the Order Of Truth. Our goal is to uncover the truth about all the lies this world is throwing at us, to prevent any further lies from being spread and to achieve absolute justice in the world, heheh. Criminals must be punished..."He points at Castor."...and that man is guilty of dozens of crimes, heheh."Suddenly, his eyes meet yours, and his expression becomes extremely stern, unsettling even. His grin completely fades."...so, please cooperate and hand him over... ...or else we'll have to use violence."You examine the figures more closely. You've never seen their cloaks or the ornaments on them before, nor have you ever heard of an Order Of Truth. The cloaks hide the figures' exact shapes, and the three that haven't been talking are hiding their faces under their hoods. However, judging from what you can assess, all four of them seem to be male. The figure that has been talking has a strong, memorable voice; if you had to guess, you'd estimate him to be middle-aged, somewhere between 30 and 35 years.

AbilitiesChord [ 4 SE + Notes SE ] [270 AP]Ell plays three different notes in one single sound - all three notes' effects are applied at once, stacking if necessary. Cannot be performed by singing.

Passive tone [ X*2 SE ] [140 AP]Ell sings in a soothing voice with X strength, which reduces the target's damage output by X for the first turn it takes, then X-1 for the next, and X-2 after that, and so on, until it wears off. However, the debuff may not lower an enemy's damage by more than half. If the strength would debuff more than half, the debuff stays at half and lasts more turns, depending on the overcast.

Musician [+10 AP]Ell's ability with spells is channeled through her music - her spells are Notes and require a musical instrument or ability to sing clearly and properly to use.

Spiritual [ 100 AP ]Ell does not have use limitations on her Abilities, instead detracting from her Spirit Energy.

NotesSoothing Song [ 5 SE ][Current: 44%]A gracefully played soothing sound magically removes some of the target's wounds and stabilizes its general condition.Restores [40 + WILx2]% of the target's HP. If Ell wishes, the healing can instead be split equally between all allied listeners (rounded down).Magic Missile [ 5 SE ][Current: 3x | 2-5 damage, 125 Hit]Ell conjures up to [INT/5] small spheres of pure magical energy and fires them at his targets independently from each other, dealing respectable damage upon impact. Each missile does 2-5 damage, has a hit chance of [80 + INT*3] and will never score critical hits.Magical Thorns [ 2 SE per turn ][Current: 2-6 damage, 90 Hit]Ell entraps her target in a magically conjured entanglement of thorny vines. While they will not hinder its combat ability, they will slowly damage it over time for as long as the caster sustains them with spirit energy.Deals [1 + INT/10] to [2 + INT/4] damage per turn. The chance of success is [60 + INT*2]. If the target fails the resistance check at any point, it will not be granted any further chances to resist the effect as long as the spell is sustained without interruption.

BackstoryEll was born into a wealthy family, raised quite exclusively. Homeschooled, trained to sing and play music. She was handed the tools, given the knowledge, and instructed to use them. Never a choice, never a purpose she could get behind. She became a rather sad soul, and one without a purpose. All her family would let her do was play music and sing to support all of them. It makes it ironic; there was little reason for song in her life at any point - it was heard among her village that she had never smiled once in her life. She made a living off of her music, but never really found a purpose. It was something she could do, and that was it. She searches the Earth and her soul for something missing - taken from her at a very young age: Her happiness. A purpose. She doesn't really know how to interact with people, and doesn't understand emotions, and she's trying to learn what her intensive homeschooling could never teach.

Ell continues to say nothing - she doesn't have any connections or obligations to the people in this situation. There's no reason for her to make any input, and she won't be able to change the situation anyway. However, she does know that the man Aranym has given her something, and she'll need to repay that debt at some point - even if that repayment is saving his life. More than that, she almost feels as if she wants to...

_________________"The why-dunnit is equally as important as the who and how. Never ignore the heart!"

Spellbook[4 SE] Wind Cutter[Current: 3x | 1-4 damage, 115 Hit]The caster conjures up to [INT/5] magical blades of compressed wind and throws them at his targets independently from each other, cutting through them with sheer force. Each blade does 1-4 damage, has a hit chance of [70 + INTx3] and will never score critical hits.[8 SE] Spark Cone[Current: 3-8 damage, 100 Hit]The caster releases an electrical charge and powers it up with magical energy, causing it to assume a greatly extended area of effect (all enemies by default) in which all beings suffer an electric shock, dealing [1 + INT/7] to [3 + INT/3] damage. The chance of success is [70 + INTx2] per target. Wet targets or targets suspended in water cannot resist this spell and take 50% more damage. Targets with a lot of metal to them take 25% more damage as well.[Wt/5 SE] Telekinesis[Current: 59 Hit]The caster utilizes magical energy to lift and move objects of weight only limited by the amount of spirit energy available to him (Wt/5, rounded up). Full concentration is required for the duration of the spell; this means that the spell is instantly cancelled if the caster's concentration is interrupted, causing the object he was moving to plummet to the ground. It also means that the caster can't move away as long as he moves the object, and the reach of his magic is limited, effectively putting a limit on how far the caster may move the object. If used on a sentient being, the chance of success is [30 + INT + WIL].

AbilitiesFocus [1] [active][65 AP]Aranym fuses additional power into a spell, increasing its damage/healing power/... and success/status effect chance by 50% and bypassing all damage reduction. A focused spell consumes double MP.Deflection [3] [passive limited][90 AP]Aranym deflects a resisted magical attack, turning the absorbed power into a makeshift shield of raw energy. The shield absorbs [strength of the deflected attack spell] points of damage from attacks directed at the party, priorizing the survival of each ally.Mercy[passive][+100 AP]Aranym cannot strike critical hits by any means, does not gain any experience for killing a sentient being and his accuracy for lethal attacks on any living creature is halved.Affinity[sustained][125 AP]Aranym concentrates on a certain element. While in this state, he can only cast spells of the element in question, but gains a 50% resistance to that element. Entering and exiting this state is a minor action.Interference [curr. occupation: 7 SE] [sustained][200 AP]A stream of irritating mental impulses floods a selected target, reducing their accuracy, evasion, MR and SR by [INT]. Aranym has 0.5 actions less than usual while sustaining this. Occupies [10-INT/5] points of SE. Invert[sustained][120 AP]In this mode, Aranym's elemental spells are drawn from the opposite element: wind <> earth, water <> electricity, heat <> cold, light <> dark.Infuse [curr:58] [sustained][200 AP]In this mode, all his magical attacks deal 25% less damage, but have a [INT*2+WIL*2] chance of inflicting a certain status effect depending on element.

StoryLots of stereotypical traumatic happenings, followed by the events from ToaP. [Well, you know it. If I would go into detail here, this part would need a lot of retcon.]Afterwards he returned to his village, aided his people with his magical abilities and learned a few new spells.ScriptProbably complicated.

"Absolute truth, huh?Improving the world is a noble cause, but you seem like those... judgemental ones, those who don't even consider the possibility that they could be wrong, condemn everyone who disagrees with them and think that the ends justify the means.The idea of "punishment" tends to conflict with those of mercy and redemption, and those who fight evil with too much devotion tend to become hard to distinguish from those whom they fight. It's foolish to consider your own ideals objective and to intend to force the entire world to abide them.

Also, I can't help but notice; your verbal tic is rather unsettling.

Anyway, you don't have any right to demand turning him over to you, and by no means you have the right to "punish" him either. Begone, you fools. We won't yield to megalomaniac fanatics."I listened to "Never Die" from the Cave Story Remix Project while writing this <possibly cheesy> post. I am not much into techno, but this song is inspiring. If you have decent speakers.

The man continues to stare at you for a while, then replies: "...is that how you think? In that case, we'll have to execute him right here, and cleaning up the mess will be your problem."He once again begins to grin."Stand aside, or else you might get hurt, heheh."The figures begin to attack Castor!

Cloaked Figure A casts a spell against Castor (10 SE | 14-22 Dmg, 81 Hit): 17 Dmg.One of the figures fires a strange crimson red ray of light at Castor. He begins to cringe in pain upon impact; however, it appears that the attacker is not entirely satisfied with the result.

Cloaked Figure D attacks Castor's eyes: -- Maneuver: -50 Hit, x1.2 Dmg, blindness --5-11 Dmg, 44 Hit, 4 Crt: Critical Hit! 19 Dmg! Blinded!The man that has been talking to you up until now draws his dagger and lunges at the distracted Castor, slashing across both his eyes with it. Castor stumbles backwards and yells in agony. Blood runs all across his face.

Spellbook[4 SE] Wind Cutter[Current: 3x | 1-4 damage, 115 Hit]The caster conjures up to [INT/5] magical blades of compressed wind and throws them at his targets independently from each other, cutting through them with sheer force. Each blade does 1-4 damage, has a hit chance of [70 + INTx3] and will never score critical hits.[8 SE] Spark Cone[Current: 3-8 damage, 100 Hit]The caster releases an electrical charge and powers it up with magical energy, causing it to assume a greatly extended area of effect (all enemies by default) in which all beings suffer an electric shock, dealing [1 + INT/7] to [3 + INT/3] damage. The chance of success is [70 + INTx2] per target. Wet targets or targets suspended in water cannot resist this spell and take 50% more damage. Targets with a lot of metal to them take 25% more damage as well.[Wt/5 SE] Telekinesis[Current: 59 Hit]The caster utilizes magical energy to lift and move objects of weight only limited by the amount of spirit energy available to him (Wt/5, rounded up). Full concentration is required for the duration of the spell; this means that the spell is instantly cancelled if the caster's concentration is interrupted, causing the object he was moving to plummet to the ground. It also means that the caster can't move away as long as he moves the object, and the reach of his magic is limited, effectively putting a limit on how far the caster may move the object. If used on a sentient being, the chance of success is [30 + INT + WIL].

AbilitiesFocus [1] [active][65 AP]Aranym fuses additional power into a spell, increasing its damage/healing power/... and success/status effect chance by 50% and bypassing all damage reduction. A focused spell consumes double MP.Deflection [3] [passive limited][90 AP]Aranym deflects a resisted magical attack, turning the absorbed power into a makeshift shield of raw energy. The shield absorbs [strength of the deflected attack spell] points of damage from attacks directed at the party, priorizing the survival of each ally.Mercy[passive][+100 AP]Aranym cannot strike critical hits by any means, does not gain any experience for killing a sentient being and his accuracy for lethal attacks on any living creature is halved.Affinity[sustained][125 AP]Aranym concentrates on a certain element. While in this state, he can only cast spells of the element in question, but gains a 50% resistance to that element. Entering and exiting this state is a minor action.Interference [curr. occupation: 7 SE] [sustained][200 AP]A stream of irritating mental impulses floods a selected target, reducing their accuracy, evasion, MR and SR by [INT]. Aranym has 0.5 actions less than usual while sustaining this. Occupies [10-INT/5] points of SE. Invert[sustained][120 AP]In this mode, Aranym's elemental spells are drawn from the opposite element: wind <> earth, water <> electricity, heat <> cold, light <> dark.Infuse [curr:58] [sustained][200 AP]In this mode, all his magical attacks deal 25% less damage, but have a [INT*2+WIL*2] chance of inflicting a certain status effect depending on element.

StoryLots of stereotypical traumatic happenings, followed by the events from ToaP. [Well, you know it. If I would go into detail here, this part would need a lot of retcon.]Afterwards he returned to his village, aided his people with his magical abilities and learned a few new spells.ScriptProbably complicated.

"......"The power of those fanatics was frightening. He doubted that they could still save Castor; while these wounds, as they were fresh, could possibly he healed with magic quickly, Ell's current power didn't suffice for that, and even if they could cure him now, these men would quickly rend him again. None of his own spells were powerful enough to mentionably harm those maniacs, and even in the unlikely case that he could incapacitate one of them, his frail body would not survive the retaliation of the remaining ones. Additionally, they would possibly decide to take it out on the whole village after being done with them... Just watching them murder Castor was cowardly and immoral, but there was nothing he could do. Despite gathering his whole determination and courage, Aranym doesn't manage to do anything more than disrupt the mind of the man whose magic affinity seemed least likely sufficient to notice. He just stands there astonied and sickened. Interference on Lunatic Knight Templar Honcho D.You said that you wouldn't let this encounter result in PC death, but I still have to roleplay this, it's most likely too late for Castor, and captivity/torture are nasty enough to avoid them.

Aranym's abilities look so lame next to these guys...Even if I would completely successfully launch an inverted infused focused Spark Cone at them, they would presumably just slice Castor up with their daggers, torture us with their spells once their sealing wore off, leave us behind maimed, bleeding and with 1 HP and then proceed to make an example of the villagers.

AbilitiesChord [ 4 SE + Notes SE ] [270 AP]Ell plays three different notes in one single sound - all three notes' effects are applied at once, stacking if necessary. Cannot be performed by singing.

Passive tone [ X*2 SE ] [140 AP]Ell sings in a soothing voice with X strength, which reduces the target's damage output by X for the first turn it takes, then X-1 for the next, and X-2 after that, and so on, until it wears off. However, the debuff may not lower an enemy's damage by more than half. If the strength would debuff more than half, the debuff stays at half and lasts more turns, depending on the overcast.

Musician [+10 AP]Ell's ability with spells is channeled through her music - her spells are Notes and require a musical instrument or ability to sing clearly and properly to use.

Spiritual [ 100 AP ]Ell does not have use limitations on her Abilities, instead detracting from her Spirit Energy.

NotesSoothing Song [ 5 SE ][Current: 44%]A gracefully played soothing sound magically removes some of the target's wounds and stabilizes its general condition.Restores [40 + WILx2]% of the target's HP. If Ell wishes, the healing can instead be split equally between all allied listeners (rounded down).Magic Missile [ 5 SE ][Current: 3x | 2-5 damage, 125 Hit]Ell conjures up to [INT/5] small spheres of pure magical energy and fires them at his targets independently from each other, dealing respectable damage upon impact. Each missile does 2-5 damage, has a hit chance of [80 + INT*3] and will never score critical hits.Magical Thorns [ 2 SE per turn ][Current: 2-6 damage, 90 Hit]Ell entraps her target in a magically conjured entanglement of thorny vines. While they will not hinder its combat ability, they will slowly damage it over time for as long as the caster sustains them with spirit energy.Deals [1 + INT/10] to [2 + INT/4] damage per turn. The chance of success is [60 + INT*2]. If the target fails the resistance check at any point, it will not be granted any further chances to resist the effect as long as the spell is sustained without interruption.

BackstoryEll was born into a wealthy family, raised quite exclusively. Homeschooled, trained to sing and play music. She was handed the tools, given the knowledge, and instructed to use them. Never a choice, never a purpose she could get behind. She became a rather sad soul, and one without a purpose. All her family would let her do was play music and sing to support all of them. It makes it ironic; there was little reason for song in her life at any point - it was heard among her village that she had never smiled once in her life. She made a living off of her music, but never really found a purpose. It was something she could do, and that was it. She searches the Earth and her soul for something missing - taken from her at a very young age: Her happiness. A purpose. She doesn't really know how to interact with people, and doesn't understand emotions, and she's trying to learn what her intensive homeschooling could never teach.

As the cloaked figures begin to unleash their mighty powers upon this man, Castor, Ell sees something she has never seen before - the beginning of cold-blooded murder. This entire thing terrifies her to her very core. Ell barely knows what this feeling means, but she has gleaned that she should run, lest something like this happen to her. The words of these killers are no insurance against the claim she won't be harmed, and thus, she takes her possessions and flees the house, no matter the time of day or night.

_________________"The why-dunnit is equally as important as the who and how. Never ignore the heart!"

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